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Sunday, October 6, 1 pm – 4 pm

Find out how to use the teachings of Zen Buddhism to transform your life. During this introductory afternoon, you will:

Learn some simple techniques to help settle your mind

Find a sitting posture to maintain a quiet steadiness while you meditate

Design a meditation space to support a regular practice

Discover the path that can lead to an easing of anxiety and depression

Explore the practical aspects of the 11th step (for those in recovery)

We recommend loose comfortable clothing. Free parking is available in St Anne’s Cathedral. The suggested donation is £10, but please donate whatever you can afford. To register, click here

Settling the body and the breath cultivates a settled state of mind. Sitting in a balanced posture creates a quiet steadiness that can, with training, become our default state, a way to meet whatever happens with upright and calm awareness. When we regularly meditate in a space that is free from distraction and interruption, we can begin to discover a deeper level of stillness that stretches outwards from our limited self-absorbed world view. The preoccupations of our daily lives take up less space for a while as we give our active cognitive brains a rest and take the backwards step that turns the light inward.

Join us in this peaceful space for a day of quiet meditation in community. We will meet a little before 10 am to start sitting at 10 am promptly. Lunch is from 12:30 to 1:30 pm; please bring vegetarian lunch to share as we will eat together in silence. We will sit for four periods in the morning and four in the afternoon, ending with the Refuges in Pali, followed by a cup of tea. Our day ends at 4 pm.